Part 16

Tha waes se deofol aene oferswidhed fram Criste. "And he dha hine genam, and baer upp on thaet templ, and hine sette aet {170} dham scylfe, and cwaedh to him, Gif dhu Godes Sunu sy, sceot ad['u]n; fordhan the englum is beboden be dhe, thaet h['i] dhe on handum ahebban, thaet thu ne dhurfe dhinne f['o]t aet stane aetspurnan." Her beg['a]nn se deofol to reccanne halige gewritu, and he leah mid thaere race; fordhan dhe h['e] is leas, and nan sodhfaestnys nis on him; ac he is faeder aelcere leasunge. Naes thaet na awriten be Criste thaet h['e] dha saede, ac waes awriten be halgum mannum: h['i] behofiadh engla fultumes on thissum life, thaet se deofol h['i] costnian ne mote swa swidhe swa he wolde. Swa hold is God mancynne, thaet he haefdh geset his englas us to hyrdum, thaet h['i] ne sceolon na gedhafian tham redhum deoflum thaet h['i] ['u]s fordon magon. Hi moton ure afandian, ac h['i] ne moton us nydan to nanum yfle, buton we hit sylfe agenes willan d['o]n, thurh tha yfelan tihtinge dhaes deofles. We ne beodh na fulfremede buton we beon afandode: thurh dha fandunge we sceolon gedheon, gif we aefre widhsacadh deofle, and eallum his larum; and gif we genealaecadh urum Drihtne mid geleafan, and lufe, and godum weorcum; gif we hwaer aslidon, arisan eft thaerrihte, and betan georne thaet dhaer tobrocen bidh.

Crist cwaedh tha to dham deofle, "Ne sceal man fandigan his Drihtnes." Thaet waere swidhe gilplic d['ae]d gif Crist scute dha ad['u]n, theah dhe he eadhe mihte butan awyrdnysse his lima nydher asceotan, sedhe gebigde thone heagan heofenlican bigels; ac he nolde nan dhing d['o]n mid gylpe; fordhon the se gylp is an heafod-leahter; tha nolde he ad['u]n asceotan, fordhon dhe he onscunode thone gylp; ac cwaedh, "Ne sceal man his Drihtnes f['a]ndian." Se man f['a]ndiadh his Drihtnes, sedhe, mid dyslicum truwan and mid gylpe, sum wundorlic dhing on Godes naman d['o]n wile, odhdhe sedhe sumes wundres dyslice and butan neode, aet Gode abiddan wile. Tha waes se deofol odhere sidhe thurh Cristes gedhyld oferswidhed.

"Tha genam he hine eft, and abaer hine ['u]pp on ane dune, and aetywde him ealles middangeardes welan and his wuldor, and cwaedh to him, Ealle dhas dhing ic forgife dhe, gif dhu wilt afeallan to minum fotum, and the to me gebiddan." Dyrstelice spraec se deofol her, swa swa he aer spraec, thatha he on {172} heofenum waes, thatha he wolde daelan heofonan rice widh his Scyppend, and beon Gode gel['i]c; ac his dyrstignys hine awearp dha into helle; and eac nu his dyrstignys hine genidherode, thadha he, dhurh Cristes throwunge, forlet mancynn of his anwealde. He cwaedh, "Thas dhing ic forgife dhe." Him dhuhte thaet he ahte ealne middangeard; fordhon dhe him ne widhstod nan man aerdham the Crist com the hine gewylde.

Hit is awriten on halgum bocum, "Eordhe and eall hire gefyllednys, and eal ymbhwyrft and tha dhe on dham wuniadh, ealle hit syndon Godes aehta," and na deofles. Theah-hwaedhere Crist cwaedh on his godspelle be dham deofle, thaet he waere middangeardes ealdor, and he sceolde beon ['u]t-adraefed. He is dhaera manna ealdor, the lufiadh thisne middangeard, and ealne heora hiht on thissum l['i]fe besettadh, and heora Scyppend forseodh. Ealle gesceafta, sunne, and mona, and ealle tunglan, land, and s['ae], and nytenu, ealle h['i] dheowiadh hyra Scyppende; fordhon the h['i] faradh aefter Godes dihte. Se lydhra man ['a]na, thonne he forsihdh Godes beboda, and fullg['ae]dh deofles willan, odhdhe thurh gytsunge, oththe dhurh leasunge, odhdhe dhurh graman, odhdhe dhurh odhre leahtras, thonne bidh he deofles dheowa, thonne he deofle gecwemdh, and thone forsihdh dhe hine geworhte.

"Crist cwaedh dha to dham deofle, Ga dhu underbaecc, sceocca! Hit is awriten, Man sceal hine gebiddan to his Drihtne, and him anum dheowian." Quidam dicunt non dixisse Saluatorem, "Satane, uade retro," sed tantum "Uade": sed tamen in rectioribus et uetustioribus exemplaribus habetur, "Uade retro Satanas," sicut interpretatio ipsius nominis declarat; nam diabolus _Deorsum ruens_ interpretatur. Apostolo igitur Petro dicitur a X[=po], "Uade retro me," id est, _Sequere me_. Diabolo non dicitur, _Uade retro me_, sed, "Uade retro," sicut jam diximus, et sic scripsit beatus Hieronimus, in una epistola. He cwaedh to dham deofle, "Ga dhu underbaec." Deofles nama is gereht, 'Nydher-hreosende.' Nydher he ahreas, and underbaec he eode fram frimdhe his anginnes, thadha he waes ascyred fram dhaere heofonlican blisse; on hinder he eode {174} eft thurh Cristes to-cyme; on hinder he sceal g['a]n on domes daege, thonne he bidh belocen on helle-wite on ['e]cum fyre, he and ealle his geferan; and h['i] naefre sidhdhan ['u]t-brecan ne magon.

Hit is awriten on dhaere ealdan ['ae], thaet nan man ne sceal hine gebiddan to nanum deofelgylde, ne to nanum dhinge, buton to Gode anum; fordhon dhe n['a]n gesceaft nys wyrdhe thaes wurdhmyntes, buton se ana sedhe Scyppend is ealra dhinga: to him anum we sceolon ['u]s gebiddan; he ana is sodh Hlaford and sodh God. We biddadh thingunga aet halgum mannum, thaet hi sceolon ['u]s dhingian to heora Drihtne and to urum Drihtne; ne gebidde we n['a], dheah-hwaedhere, us to him, swa swa we to Gode dodh, ne hi thaet gedhafian nelladh; swa swa se engel cwaedh to Iohanne tham apostole, dhadha he wolde feallan to his fotum: he cwaedh, "Ne do thu hit na, thaet thu to me abuge. Ic eom Godes theowa, swa swa dhu and thine gebrodhra: gebide dhe to Gode anum."

"Tha forl['e]t se deofol Crist, and him comon englas to, and him dhenodon." He waes gecostnod swa swa mann, and aefter dhaere costnunge him comon halige englas to, and him dhenodon, swa swa heora Scyppende. Buton se deofol gesawe thaet Crist man waere, ne gecostnode he hine; and buton he sodh God waere, noldon dha englas him dhenian. Mycel waes ures Haelendes eadhmodnys and his gethyld on dhisre daede. He mihte mid anum worde besencan dhone deofol on thaere deopan nywelnysse; ac h['e] ne aeteowde his mihte, ac mid halgum gewritum he andwyrde dham deofle, and sealde us bysne mid his gedhylde, thaet swa oft swa we fram dhwyrum mannum aenig dhing throwiadh, thaet we sceolon wendan ure mod to Godes lare swidhor thonne to aenigre wrace.

On dhreo wisan bidh deofles costnung: thaet is on tihtinge, on lustfullunge, on gedhafunge. Deofol tiht ['u]s to yfele, ac we sceolon hit onscunian, and ne geniman nane lustfullunge to dhaere tihtinge: gif thonne ure mod nimdh gelustfullunge, thonne sceole we huru widhstandan, thaet dhaer ne beo n['a]n gedhafung to dham yfelan weorce. Seo yfele tihting is of deofle; {176} dhonne bidh oft thaes mannes m['o]d gebiged to dhaere lustfullunge, hwilon eac asl['i]t to dhaere gedhafunge; fordhon the we sind of synfullum flaesce acennede. Naes na se Haelend on dha wisan gecostnod; fordhon dhe he waes of maedene acenned buton synne, and naes nan dhing dhwyrlices on him. He mihte beon gecostnod thurh tihtinge, ac nan lustfullung ne hrepede his m['o]d. Thaer naes eac nan gedhafung, fordhon dhe dhaer naes nan lustfullung; ac waes dhaes deofles costnung fordhy eall widhutan, and nan dhing widhinnan. Ungewiss com se deofol to Criste, and ungewiss he eode aweig; fordhan the se Haelend ne geswutulode na him his mihte, ac oferdr['a]f hine gedhyldelice mid halgum gewritum.

Se ealda deofol gecostnode urne faeder Ad['a]m on dhreo wisan: thaet is mid gyfernysse, and mid idelum wuldre, and mid gitsunge; and tha weardh he oferswidhed, fordhon the he gedhafode dham deofle on eallum tham dhrim costnungum. Thurh gyfernysse he waes oferswidhed, thatha he dhurh deofles lare aet dhone forbodenan aeppel. Thurh idel wuldor he waes oferswidhed, dhadha he gelyfde dhaes deofles wordum, dhadha he cwaedh, "Swa maere ge beodh swa swa englas, gif ge of tham treowe etadh." And h['i] dha gelyfdon his leasunge, and woldon mid idelum gylpe beon beteran thonne h['i] gesceapene waeron: dha wurdon h['i] wyrsan. Mid gytsunge he waes oferswidhed, thatha se deofol cwaedh to him, "And ge habbadh gescead aegdher ge g['o]des ge ['y]feles." Nis na gytsung on feo anum, ac is eac on gewilnunge micelre gedhincdhe.

Mid tham ylcum dhrim dhingum the se deofol dhone frumsceapenan mann oferswidhde, mid tham ylcan Crist oferswidhde hine, and astrehte. Thurh gyfernysse fandode se deofol Cristes, dhadha he cwaedh, "Cwedh to dhysum stanum thaet h['i] beon to hlafum awende, and et." Thurh idel wuldor he fandode his, thatha he hine tihte thaet h['e] sceolde sceotan nydher of dhaes temples scylfe. Thurh gitsunge he fandode his, dhadha he mid leasunge him behet ealles middangeardes welan, gif he wolde feallan to his fotum. Ac se deofol waes tha oferswidhed {178} dhurh Crist on tham ylcum gemetum the he aer Adam oferswidhde; thaet he gewite fram urum heortum mid tham innfaere gehaeft, mid tham the he inn-afaren waes and us gehaefte.

We gehyrdon on dhisum godspelle thaet ure Drihten faeste feowertig daga and feowertig nihta on ['a]n. Dhadha he swa lange faeste, tha geswutelode he tha micelan mihte his godcundnysse, thurh dha he mihte on eallum dhisum andweardum life butan eordhlicum mettum lybban, gif he wolde. Eft, dhadha him hingrode, tha geswutelode he thaet h['e] waes sodh man, and fordhi metes behofode. Moyses se heretoga faeste eac feowertig daga and feowertig nihta, to dhi thaet he moste underfon Godes ['ae]; ac he ne faeste na thurh his agene mihte, ac thurh Godes. Eac se witega Elias faeste ealswa lange eac thurh Godes mihte, and sidhdhan waes genumen butan deadhe of dhisum life.

Nu is dhis faesten eallum cristenum mannum geset to healdenne on aelces geares ymbryne; ac we moton aelce daeg ures metes brucan mid forhaefednysse, dhaera metta the alyfede sind. Hw['i] is dhis faesten thus geteald thurh feowertig daga? On eallum geare sind getealde dhreo hund daga and fif and sixtig daga; thonne, gif we teodhiadh thas gearlican dagas, thonne beodh thaer six and dhritig teodhing-dagas; and fram dhisum daege odh thone halgan Easter-daeg sind twa and feowertig daga: d['o] thonne dha six sunnan-dagas of dham getele, thonne beodh tha six and dhritig thaes geares teodhing-dagas ['u]s to forhaefednysse getealde.

Swa swa Godes ['ae] ['u]s bebyt thaet we sceolon ealle tha dhing the us gesceotadh of ['u]res geares teolunge Gode tha teodhunge syllan, swa we sceolon eac on dhisum teodhing-dagum urne lichaman mid forhaefednysse Gode to lofe teodhian. We sceolon ['u]s gearcian on eallum dhingum swa swa Godes thenas, aefter thaes apostoles taecunge, on micclum gedhylde, and on halgum waeccum, on faestenum, and on claennysse modes and lichaman; fordhi laesse pleoh bidh tham cristenum men thaet he flaesces bruce, thonne he on dhissere halgan tide w['i]fes bruce. {180} Laetadh aweg ealle saca, and aelc geflitt, and gehealdadh thas tid mid sibbe and mid sodhre lufe; fordhon ne bidh nan faesten Gode andfenge butan sibbe. And dodh swa swa God taehte, tobrec dhinne hlaf, and syle dhone otherne dael hungrium men, and laed into thinum huse w['ae]dlan, and dha earman aelfremedan men, and gefrefra h['i] mid thinum godum. Thonne dhu nacodne geseo, scryd hine, and ne forseoh dhin agen flaesc. Se mann the faest buton aelmyssan, h['e] dedh swilce h['e] sparige his mete, and eft ett thaet h['e] ['ae]r mid forhaefednysse foreode; ac thaet faesten taeldh God. Ac gif dhu faestan wille Gode to gecwemednysse, thonne gehelp dhu earmra manna mid tham daele dhe dhu the sylfum oftihst, and eac mid maran, gif dhe to onhagige. Forb['u]gadh idele spellunge, and dyslice blissa, and bewepadh eowre synna; fordhon dhe Crist cwaedh, "W['a] eow the nu hlihgadh, ge sceolon heofian and wepan." Eft he cwaedh, "Eadige beodh dha dhe nu wepadh, fordhon dhe hi sceolon beon gefrefrode."

We lybbadh mislice on twelf mondhum: nu sceole we ure gymeleaste on thysne timan geinnian, and lybban Gode, we dhe odhrum timan us sylfum leofodon. And swa hwaet swa we dodh to gode, uton d['o]n thaet butan gylpe and idelre herunge. Se mann the for gylpe hwaet to g['o]de dedh, him sylfum to herunge, naefdh he dhaes nane mede aet Gode, ac haefdh his wite. Ac uton d['o]n swa swa God taehte, thaet ure godan weorc beon on dha wisan mannum cudhe, thaet h['i] magon geseon ure g['o]dnysse, and thaet h['i] wuldrian and herigan urne Heofenlican Faeder, God Aelmihtigne, sedhe forgilt mid hundfealdum swa hwaet swa we dodh earmum mannum for his lufon, sedhe leofadh and rixadh ['a] butan ende on ecnysse. Amen.

{167} THE FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT.

Ductus est Jesus in desertum a Spiritu: et reliqua.

I would expound to you this gospel which has just now been read before you, but I fear that ye cannot understand the great depth of this gospel as it is fitting. Now I pray you to be patient in your thoughts till, with God's assistance, we can read over the text.

"Jesus was led by the Holy Ghost to a waste, in order that he might be tempted by the devil: and he there fasted forty days and forty nights, so that he tasted neither food nor drink in all that time: but he then hungered. Then the tempter approached, and said to him, If thou art the Son of God, say to these stones that they be turned to loaves. Then Jesus answered, and said, It is written, Man liveth not by bread alone, but liveth by all the words that go from the mouth of God. Then the devil took him, and set him upon the summit of the lofty temple, and said, If thou art the Son of God, fall now down: it is written, that angels are commanded concerning thee, that they shall lift thee in their hands, that thou may not dash thy foot on a stone. Then said Jesus again to him, It is written, Tempt not thy Lord. Then the devil took him again, and set him upon a very high mountain, and showed him all the wealth and glory of the world, and said to him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall at my feet, and adore me. Then said Jesus to him, Go thou behind, Satan! It is written, Everyone shall adore his Lord alone, and him alone serve. Then the devil left him, and angels came to him, and ministered unto him."

The Holy Ghost led Jesus to the waste, that he might there be tempted. Now everyone will wonder how the devil durst approach Jesus to tempt him: but he durst not tempt {169} Jesus, if it had not been allowed him. Jesus came to mankind because he would overcome all our temptations by his temptations, and overcome our eternal death with his temporary death. Now he was so humble that he permitted the devil to tempt him, and he permitted wicked men to slay him. The devil is the head of all unrighteous men, and evil men are his limbs: now God permitted the head to tempt him, and the limbs to crucify him.

To the devil it was a great doubt, What Christ were? His life was not ordered like the lives of other men. Christ ate not with avidity, nor did he drink with excess, nor did his eyes pass wandering amid various pleasures. Then the devil meditated what he were; whether he were the Son of God, who had been promised to mankind. He said then in his thoughts, that he would prove what he were. When Christ was fasting forty days and forty nights together, in all that time the devil did not say to him that he should eat, because he saw that he hungered not. Afterwards, when Christ hungered after so long a time, then verily the devil weened that he was not God, and said to him, "Why hungerest thou? If thou art the Son of God, turn these stones to loaves, and eat."

Easily might God, who turned water to wine, and he who wrought all creatures from nothing, easily might he have turned the stones to loaves: but he would do nothing by the devil's direction; but said to him in answer, "Man liveth not by bread alone, but liveth by the words which go from the mouth of God." As man's body lives by bread, so shall his soul live by the words of God, that is, by God's doctrine, which, through wise men, he has set in books. If the body has not food, or cannot eat food, then it decays and dies: so likewise the soul, if it has not the holy doctrine, it will be perishable and powerless. By the holy doctrine it will be strong, and stimulated to God's will.

Then was the devil _once_ overcome by Christ. "And he then took him and bare him up on the temple, and set him {171} on the summit, and said to him, If thou art the Son of God, dart down; for it is commanded to angels concerning thee, that they shall raise thee on their hands, that thou may not dash thy foot against a stone." Here the devil began to expound the holy scriptures, and he lied in his exposition; because he is false, and there is no truth in him; but he is the father of all leasing. It was not written of Christ what he there said, but was written of holy men: they require the support of angels in this life, that the devil may not tempt them so much as he would. So benevolent is God to mankind, that he has set his angels over us as guardians, that they may not allow the fierce devils to fordo us. They may tempt us, but they cannot compel us to any evil, unless we ourselves do it of our own will, through the evil instigation of the devil. We shall not be perfect unless we be tempted: through temptation we shall thrive, if we ever resist the devil and all his precepts; and if we draw nigh to our Lord with faith, and love, and good works; if we anywhere slide down, arise forthwith, and earnestly mend what shall there be broken.

Christ said to the devil, "No one shall tempt his Lord." It would have been a very proud deed if Christ had cast himself down, though he easily might, without injury of his limbs, have cast himself down, who bowed the high arch of heaven; but he would do nothing in pride, because pride is a deadly sin; so he would not cast himself down, because he would shun pride; but said, "No one shall tempt his Lord." That man tempts his Lord, who, with foolish confidence and with pride, will do something in the name of God, or who will foolishly and without need pray to God for some miracle. Then was the devil, by Christ's patience, overcome _a second time_.

"Then he took him again, and bare him up on a mountain, and showed him all the riches of the world and its glory, and said to him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall at my feet, and adore me." Presumptuously spake the devil here, as he before spake, when he was in heaven, when he {173} would share the heavenly kingdom with his Creator, and be equal to God; but his presumption then cast him down into hell; and now also his presumption humbled him, when he, through Christ's passion, let mankind out of his power. He said, "These things will I give thee." It seemed to him that he possessed all the world; because no man withstood him before Christ came who subdued him.

It is written in holy books, "Earth and all its fullness, and all the globe and those who dwell on it, all are God's possessions," and not the devil's. Nevertheless, Christ said in his gospel concerning the devil, that he was the prince of the world, and he should be driven out. He is the prince of those men who love this world, and set all their hope in this life, and despise their Creator. All creatures, sun, and moon, and all stars, land, and sea, and cattle, all serve their Creator; because they perform their course after God's direction. Wicked man alone, when he despises the commandments of God, and fulfils the devil's will, either through covetousness, or through leasing, or through anger, or through other sins, then is he the devil's thrall, then is he acceptable to the devil, and despises him who created him.

"Christ then said to the devil, Go thou behind, Satan! It is written, Man shall adore his Lord, and serve him alone." Quidam dicunt non dixisse Salvatorem, "Satane, vade retro," sed tantum "Vade": sed tamen in rectioribus et vetustioribus exemplaribus habetur, "Vade retro Satanas," sicut interpretatio ipsius nominis declarat; nam diabolus _Deorsum ruens_ interpretatur. Apostolo igitur Petro dicitur a Christo, "Vade retro me," id est, _Sequere me_. Diabolo non dicitur, _Vade retro me_, sed "Vade retro," sicut jam diximus, et sic scripsit beatus Hieronymus, in una epistola. He said to the devil, "Go thou behind." The name of devil is interpreted, _Falling down_. He fell down, and he went behind from the beginning of his enterprize, when he was cut off from heavenly bliss; he went behind again through Christ's advent; {175} he shall go behind on doomsday, when he shall be shut up in hell in eternal fire, he and all his associates; and they never afterwards may burst out.

It is written in the old law that no man shall worship any idol, nor anything, save God alone; because no creature is worthy of that honour, save him alone who is the Creator of all things: him only should we worship; he alone is true Lord and true God. We pray for their intercessions to holy men, that they may mediate for us with their Lord and our Lord; still we do not worship them as we do God, nor would they permit it; as the angel said to John the apostle, when he would fall at his feet: he said, "Do thou it not, that thou bowest to me. I am God's servant, as thou and thy brethren: worship God alone."

"Then the devil left Christ, and angels came to him, and ministered to him." He was tempted as a man, and after the temptation holy angels came to him, and ministered to him as to their Creator. Unless the devil had seen that Christ was a man, he would not have tempted him; and unless he had been true God, the angels would not have ministered to him. Great was our Saviour's meekness and his patience in this deed. He might with one word have sunk the devil into the deep abyss; but he manifested not his might, but answered the devil with the holy scriptures, and gave us an example by his patience, that, as often as we suffer anything from perverse men, we should turn our mind to God's precepts rather than to any vengeance.

In three ways is temptation of the devil: that is in instigation, in pleasure, in consent. The devil instigates us to evil, but we should shun it, and take no pleasure in the instigation: but if our mind takes pleasure, then should we at least withstand, so that there be no consent to evil work. Instigation to evil is of the devil; but a man's mind is often {177} bent to pleasure, sometimes also it lapses into consent; seeing that we are born of sinful flesh. Not in this wise was Jesus tempted; because he was born of a virgin without sin, and that there was nothing perverse in him. He might have been tempted by instigation, but no pleasure touched his mind. There was also no consent, because there was no pleasure; therefore was the devil's temptation all without, and nothing within. Uncertain came the devil to Christ, and uncertain he went away; seeing that Jesus manifested not his power to him, but overcame him patiently by the holy scriptures.

The old devil tempted our father Adam in three ways: that is with greediness, with vain-glory, and with covetousness; and then he was overcome, because he consented to the devil in all those three temptations. Through greediness he was overcome, when, by the devil's instruction, he ate the forbidden apple. Through vain-glory he was overcome, when he believed the devil's words, when he said, "Ye shall be as great as angels, if ye eat of that tree." And they then believed his leasing, and would in their vain-glory be better than they had been created: then became they worse. With covetousness he was overcome, when the devil said to him, "And ye shall have the power to distinguish good from evil." Covetousness is not alone in money, but is also in the desire of great dignity.